SNP Aberdeen South & North Kincardine MSP Maureen Watt has hit out at the staggering lack of respect for the people of Aberdeen shown by their determination to ignore the results of the recent referendum on the City Garden Project if they were to gain power in Aberdeen’s coming local election.

During a debate in the Scottish Parliament today (Thursday), Labour MSPs indicated that their councillors would seek to set aside the result of the referendum, despite the democratic majority that has now been established in favour of the project.

A large number of figures who campaigned against the City Garden Project such as Chairman of the Balmoral Group Jim Milne and Kenneth Watt, of the Aberdeen Youth Council, have publicly accepted the democratic will of the people and acknowledged that now that the project has a democratic mandate, it is important that the city comes together to move forward.

Commenting after the debate, Ms Watt said:

“It really is beyond belief that Labour thinks it knows better than the people of Aberdeen who took part in their thousands to decide upon the future of Union Terrace Gardens. The result may have been a close one, but a majority of more than 4,000 is something that not a single one of Labour’s constituency MSPs managed to achieve. Are they suggesting that their elections to Holyrood should be set aside?

“A democratic majority in favour of the City Garden Project was established following a fair vote which more than half the city took part in. This is democracy in action, why is Labour opposed to that?

“If the result had gone the other way, does anyone really think that Labour would now be attacking the referendum process?

“The people have spoken and we should all be coming together as a city to move forward instead of trying to nurture division for electoral benefit. The credibility of Labour has hit an all-time low and the arrogance at thinking they know better than the people of Aberdeen really is breathtaking.”

Aberdeen · City Garden Project · Referendum

SNP Aberdeen South and North Kincardine MSP Maureen Watt is backing International Women’s Day 2012. The global event is celebrated on the Thursday 8^th March and marks the economic, political and social achievements of the fairer sex. This year’s theme is ‘Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures’.

Commenting Ms Watt said:

“I fully support International Women’s Day 2012 and I encourage people, not only in my constituency, but across our nation and beyond, to celebrate female achievement.

“Aberdeen will be marking International Women’s Day 2012 with local artist Merlyn Riggs staging innovative Participatory Art Pieces in the city centre, based on the theme of Fairy Tales. There will also be a screening of the Lynn Hershman-Leeson film ‘Women Art Revolution’, along with academic lectures, debates, dance, music and comedy.

 “Gender equality and the promotion of women is something which I am passionate about, and the SNP Scottish Government is committed to removing the barriers which are, unfortunately, still faced by women across a range of social and economic spheres.

“Our efforts are in direct contrast to those of the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition at Westminster, whose proposed Welfare Reforms look set to hit women and the disabled hardest.”

Communities · Equality · Women

SNP Aberdeen South & North Kincardine MSP Maureen Watt is lending her support to WWF’s Earth Hour and urging constituents, local businesses, and organisations in her constituency to do the same by switching off their lights on Saturday 31 March.

This year, Earth Hour will take place on 31 March at 8.30pm and Scots will join millions around the world in turning off their lights for 60 minutes in a demonstration of support for action against the impacts of climate change on people and wildlife.

This week, the Scottish Government announced it will continue Scotland’s leadership in combating climate change and fulfill its manifesto commitment by launching the Climate Justice Fund this spring. This fund is in response to the impact of climate change on the world’s poorest communities and is the first of its kind.

Commenting Ms Watt said:

“This is an important opportunity for residents of Aberdeen South and North Kincardine to join the rest of Scotland and the world by turning off their power. I encourage as many people as possible to participate in Earth Hour as it is an excellent way for residents in the North East to save energy and fight climate change.

“Scotland already has the most ambitious carbon emission reduction targets in the world and participating in Earth Hour is a great way of showing our continued determination to fight climate change.

“The SNP is following through with their campaign promise by launching the Climate Justice Fund, and Earth Hour is the perfect way for Scots to continue to lead the way in combating climate change.”

Climate Change · Communities · Earth Hour

SNP Aberdeen South and North Kincardine MSP Maureen Watt is lending her support to ‘No Smoking Day 2012’ on the 14^th of March. The theme for this year’s event is ‘Take the Leap’, encouraging smokers to take the often life changing decision to kick the habit and set themselves on the road to a healthier, wealthier lifestyle.

Commenting Ms Watt said:

“I’m giving my full support to No Smoking Day 2012 and I encourage smokers from Aberdeen South and North Kincardine to make the transformation from smoker to non-smoker.

” The benefits of giving up smoking are effective almost immediately. After only 20 minutes your blood pressure will return to normal, after 24 hours your lungs will begin to clear out the tar that clogs them up and after 3 days your breathing improves and energy levels increase.

“People can also access the ‘Quit and Save Calculator’ at wequit.co.uk, where they can find out exactly how much money they would save if they gave up smoking for good. A packet of cigarettes costs over £6.50 at the moment, making the transformation from smoker to non- smoker worth around £45.50 per week”

Health · Smoking

SNP Aberdeen South & North Kincardine MSP Maureen Watt has welcomed the announcement that the Polish Association Aberdeen has received a £4,640 Awards for All grant from the Big Lottery Fund.

The Polish Association Aberdeen is a voluntary organisation that helps the Polish community living in Aberdeen to get involved in community life and improve their skills through seminars and classes. They will use the funding to host a series of seminars and workshops on a variety of subjects related topics aimed at improving the lives of Polish women.

Commenting Ms Watt said:

“I am delighted that the Big Lottery Fund has chosen the Polish Association of Aberdeen for their Awards for All scheme.

“The Polish Association has done a wonderful job of improving Scottish-Polish relations in Aberdeen. The Association is made up of volunteers that help Polish nationals living in Aberdeen by teaching them the skills they need to succeed in the community.

“This funding will be used to give Polish women the knowledge and tools to make a positive impact in their own lives and the community by holding seminars on important topics such as mental health and healthy living. I would like to congratulate everyone involved in securing the funding and thank them for continuing to improve the experience of Polish nationals in Aberdeen.”

Aberdeen · Big Lottery Fund · Polish

SNP Aberdeen South & North Kincardine MSP Maureen Watt has welcomed today’s ruling rejecting the appeal against the construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route. Roadsense had been seeking to overturn a previous court decision in August that had thrown out their attempts to block the road, but today’s ruling saw their appeal against this judgement also fail.

Commenting Ms Watt said:

“I am glad to see that the latest efforts from a handful of objectors to continue holding back this much needed piece of infrastructure for the North East have rightly failed. People across the North East have been crying out for work on this road to begin and the frustration they have felt as a result of the legal obstacles that have been thrown in their path has been enormous.

“Roadsense have had their day in court. In fact they’ve had it twice and their complaints have been comprehensively rejected both times. I hope that with their appeal having also failed, we can now move on and get work started on the road as quickly as possible.

“The AWPR will bring real benefits to people in Aberdeen and across the North East, reducing congestion and speeding up journey times. It is an essential piece of infrastructure that will benefit people and businesses alike and was a key part of our recent manifesto.

“The construction of it will also bring important employment and training opportunities to the region, with the Scottish Government having previously confirmed to me their intention of ensuring the construction contract contains a community benefit clause.”

AWPR · economy · Transport

SNP Aberdeen South & North Kincardine MSP Maureen Watt has expressed her belief that the North East will be at the forefront to benefit from funding for broadband improvements following evidence given by Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment Alex Neil MSP to the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee today (Wednesday) which Ms Watt convenes.

In his evidence, Alex Neil praised the work that has been done by Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Forum (ACSEF) in developing a strategy for broadband in the area and said that “the rest of Scotland could learn a lesson or two from the way in which Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire have conducted themselves and the progress that they have made in preparing for broadband.”

Mr Neil also indicated that groups with advanced broadband plans such as the North East will not be held up in making progress by a need to wait for other areas to fully develop their plans.

Commenting Ms Watt said:

“The Scottish Government’s recently passed budget contained a significant funding boost for improving broadband infrastructure across Scotland, something which is absolutely critical to the future of the Scottish economy.

“ACSEF has made enormous strides in preparing the groundwork for broadband improvements in the North East and I am delighted that the Cabinet Secretary recognised that. The fact that he believes other parts of Scotland can learn lessons from what is happening in the North East should reassure people that work is well under way to deliver better broadband infrastructure in the years ahead.

“When it comes to funding announcements for broadband in the months ahead, I am optimistic that the North East will be in a strong position to benefit from the money available and deliver a better service to homes and businesses in Aberdeen South & North Kincardine and across the whole region.”

Broadband · Communities · economy

SNP Aberdeen South and North Kincardine MSP Maureen Watt has welcomed the launch of the “Tell Us Once” initiative in Aberdeen today (Tuesday). When families are registering a birth or death, they will now have the option to allow the Council to notify relevant government departments and Council services. This means that the family only needs to tell the Council once and not multiple times. 

This service is very practical as it means that official documents such as passports and driving licences can be automatically cancelled, and that appropriate Council services can be advised about the birth or death of a family member. A similar initiative was launched by Moray Council in October and will also go live in Aberdeenshire at the end of March.

Commenting Ms Watt said:

“The “Tell Us Once” initiative is a very efficient way of letting the proper departments knows of the birth or death of a loved one. During these times, families are often too busy with their new baby or grieving over the loss of a loved one to be dealing with all of the paperwork, so having the option of getting the council to make all the appropriate notifications will be extremely welcome.

“Something that will simplify the process and reduce the amount of paperwork involved has to be good news, and I am sure that the residents of Aberdeen will join me in welcoming the Tell Us Once initiative.

“I am delighted that residents of Aberdeen will be able to benefit from the improvements that this system should bring if they choose to. This service could save a lot of time for a lot of people, especially during busy or difficult times, and I look forward to the launch of the service in Aberdeenshire in the coming months.”

Aberdeen · Health · local government

SNP Aberdeen South and North Kincardine MSP Maureen Watt has expressed her horror after learning a Torry pensioner may have lay dead in her home for months. The 81 year old’s body was only discovered when Police knocked down her door after a neighbour raised concerns. Ms Watt has now written to Aberdeen City Council to ask the local authority what measures are in place to prevent a similar situation happening in the future

Commenting Ms Watt said:

“I was absolutely horrified to learn that this woman may have been lying dead in her home since before Christmas.

“I also find it extremely concerning that no-one raised the alarm sooner.

“This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of local community and the responsibilities which people have to look after their older and more vulnerable neighbours.

“I’ve written to Aberdeen City Council to ask them what measures are in place to prevent an incident like this taking place, and what procedures are in place to identify people who may be in a similar situation”.

Aberdeen · Communities · Health

Aberdeen North and South Kincardine MSP Maureen Watt is welcoming the news that Planning Minister Derek Mackay has today (Wednesday) given the go ahead to Aberdeen City Council’s Local Development Plan – the first in Scotland.

The Plan sets out how the city will grow over the next decade, and identifies land for 30,000 new houses and 196 hectares of new business land.

It includes a requirement for housing developers to include at least 25 per cent affordable housing in all their developments.

It sets out the Council’s priorities for regenerating parts of Aberdeen and for supporting a thriving city centre, and is due to come into force on February 29.

The new type of plan was introduced in the 2006 Planning Act, and Aberdeen City Council’s is the first in Scotland to be adopted.

Scottish Government Reporters looked into representations made after the plan was published and recommended minor modifications, but on the whole found it was based on sound evidence and consistent with Scottish Government Planning Policy.

The Plan contains a spatial strategy which explains the Council’s overall view of where development should go and the principles behind that. It identifies future development sites and the scale of development expected on each.

The Aberdeen Local Development Plan identifies land to meet the housing and employment land allocations laid out in the most recent Aberdeen City and Shire Structure Plan [2009]. It also contains policies which meet the aims and objectives of the Structure Plan, which was approved by the Scottish Government.

Maureen Watt MSP said

“This is fantastic news for the city of Aberdeen. The plan is the first of its kind in Scotland and will be widely welcomed by residents and businesses alike”

“It sets out the Council’s ambitious plans for the city and for its sustainable economic growth, this is to be welcomed in what is a difficult time for many people living in Aberdeen.”

“I particularly welcome the announcement that developers will have to make at least a quarter of their new homes available at an affordable cost. This will prove a huge boost to my constituents who find themselves struggling to get on to the property ladder and who would otherwise not be able to set up their own homes.”

Aberdeen · economy · local government